Getting your Book Printed from Home

Smart Steps to Selecting Self-Publishing Companies to Print Your Book

By Deborah S. Nelson, Author-Book Coach-Speaker

There are thousands of online self-publishing companies. One of the most daunting of all the steps in the process of self-publishing your own book is selecting the printer to print your book.

Many people who have a dream to publish a book are now finding with digital publishing that their dream can come to reality. But self-publishing can also be a nightmare, if you do not know what you are doing, or if you have not counted the costs before jumping in!

Counting the Costs of Self-Publishing

Before you start on this journey of self-publishing, it a smart idea to understand the real costs of self-publishing and printing your book from home on your laptop. This is an exciting idea, but most so-called self-publishing companies are mainly print on demand enterprises.

They advertise their printing services as “free,” and technically this is true, but once you get into the process, you will realize there are many other costs besides the actual printing. There is a big difference between just printing a book and self-publishing a book. It could cost from “almost free” (under $100) to $10,000 to self-publish a book depending on your do-it-yourself skill level and how complicated your book project is. Read my article that goes into details regarding the real self-publishing costs involved in printing your book at home.

Experience the exhilaration of BOOK COACHING during a trial session with Deborah S. Nelson. Click to schedule a complimentary 1/2 hour—available Tuesdays & Thursdays from 12p.m.-6p.m. EST.

Steps to Selecting from Self-Publishing Companies

There are literally thousand of self-publishing companies. How can you choose? Which ones are the ones to avoid? Which self-publishing companies are the best?

Since being a self-publishing coach this is one of most asked questions. This is not that clear-cut. It really depends on three main factors:

• simplicity or complexity of the book project
• your skill level and understanding of the publishing process
• customer service of the print on demand company

I addressed one writer who was struggling through the “self-publishing” processing for the first time.  Extremely frustrated and unhappy with the printer, the writer wanted to know a better option for printers for the future.  It turned out that the print on demand company they were using was my favorite one through which I have used to publish at least 20 books. And upon further investigation into their problem, I discovered that the problem was due to the writer’s lack of knowledge of basic industry principles. I explained that this is one of the best print on demand company in this industry; and that if you switch, you will have the exact same issues with any other printing company you select.

In order to be successful in self-publishing and selecting any printing company,  first realize there are certain steps you must take to prepare your book for printing. Every single printing company will need these done. I have written another article on the basic self-publishing steps that will help keep you from blaming others for your lack of knowledge.

Last Considerations for Selecting Printing Companies

Before choosing, prepare yourself and educate yourself for the self-publishing process. Learn the main terms of the industry. Read our Dictionary of Publishing Terms. Understand all the different pieces and parts of publishing a book. Understand that printing a book is only one of the parts of what being a self-publisher involves.

Have a Dream to Publish a Book—
But Lack the Time or Know-How?

Look no further. This potent and detailed DIY publishing guide grants you the time and know-how. Learn how to self-publish a book by doing it! Once you become a published author, friends, family, and peers see you in a whole new light! This unique system propels both aspiring and seasoned authors through the digital publishing process step by step. You won’t even need your completed manuscript to start!

Includes downloadable template
Free ISBN number & POD account
10 steps to print on demand publishing
Displays book parts in chronological order
Publish your book blueprint proof in a week

Those who have completed Ms. Nelson’s Courses are raving fans. See Videos Reviews & Author Library.
Hmmm … I am not quite ready—just send me the Free Self-Publishing Toolkit

FREE SELF-PUBLISHING TOOLKIT

Self-Publishing a Book. Spending or Making Money?

Best Self-Publishing Companies for Your Book

By Deborah S. Nelson, Author-Book Coach-Speaker

One of the questions I am most asked as a Publishing Coach by those wanting to self-publish a book, is “What are the Best Self-Publishing Companies?” I understand that this question would be on the top of the mind of aspiring writers. However, if you are truly serious about publishing a book, you’ll want to dig a little deeper than that.

What is Self-Publishing?

In this new era of digital and print on demand printing, confusion reigns. Before we talk about the best printers for your self-publishing project, consider what self-publishing really is. Now that may sound obvious, but there are thousands of companies listed in Google that call themselves self-publishing companies. The concept of a self-publishing company which is somewhat of an oxymoron and is a misnomer.

If you look up the definition of self-publishing in WIKIPEDIA, it says that the person who is the author of the work, takes on the publishing role in addition to the creative role. Typically being labeled as self-publishing companies, these are mostly printers with the ability to print on demand. Print on demand is a digital printing process that allows as little as one book to be printed affordably.

The old-school printing press required about 10,000 books to print at one time for affordability in the marketplace. Now, with print on demand digital printing companies can help writers to publish their works easily and affordably. At the end of the day, however, it is not the printing company that is the self-publisher. The author who takes on the job of publishing his or her own works is the publisher, the “self” publisher.

Experience the exhilaration of BOOK COACHING during a trial session with Deborah S. Nelson. Click to schedule a complimentary 1/2 hour—available Tuesdays & Thursdays from 12p.m.-6p.m. EST.

COMPLIMENTARY BOOK COACHING

Selecting a Print on Demand Company

So the real question is, who is the best printer for your self-publishing project? Everyone who decides to publish their own works makes many decisions, selecting a printer is only one. To learn more about self-publishing and becoming your own publisher see the Self -Publishing Checklist.

Having worked in the publishing and printing industry for a few decades, I propose that the answer to this question depends on the project. My most preferable “self-publishing companies” are Createspace,  LuLu and Lightening Source, and Blurb for printed physical books, along with Kindle, Kobo, and Smashwords for the top electronic book formats. All these decisions will take into consideration your primary market along with is the book hardback, paperback, black & white, or four-color.

One of the best ways to figure out the best printers for your book is to employ the services of a print broker in your area. If you want to do a short run of books and keep an inventory, then that is one approach. If you would like to have Amazon.com print and ship books as ordered “on demand,” that is another approach. This all depends on the project and also on who you want to reach and how you want to reach them.

Digital Publishing Explained Video

To get a little more insight into what digital and print on demand printing is about, watch this 2 minute educational video by Publishing SOLO.

Those who have completed Ms. Nelson’s Courses are raving fans. See Videos Reviews & Author Library.
Hmmm … I am not quite ready—just send me the Free Self-Publishing Toolkit

FREE SELF-PUBLISHING TOOLKIT

Join Publishing SOLO
for Support, Structure & Accountability

.

For All Your Publishing Dreams

Getting Educated on the Real Defintion of Self-Publishing will Clear the Way

Complete Definition of Self-Publishing Alleviates Confusion in Brave New World of Publishing

By Deborah S. Nelson, Author-Book Coach-Speaker

It drives me nuts, berserk, urks me; I can’t stand it; and now I can’t hold back. What am I talking about? The twisted, spun, and wildly generic use of the term, self publishing. Thrown around on the public forum, this wrongly used term is creating mass confusion in the Brave New World of Publishing.

Someone needs to clear up the definition of self publishing and that someone is me. We certainly already experience enough confusion in this transition between traditional book publishing and electronic publishing. Confusion of this “major player” term adds even more fuel to the blazing fire of self publishing ignorance.

The other day I found myself answering a question, “What is the best print on demand service for a fiction book?” This is just one of the many questions asked that clearly demonstrates the confusion in the digital publishing world now. FURTHER READING: 7 Steps of Becoming a Publisher and Self Publishing Publishers

Clearing up the Deception with a Wholistic Definition of Self Publishing

Deborah S. Nelson, Author-Book Coach-Speaker

I want to clear the air; and clear it up once and for all. Why listen to me? I have working in publishing, printing, and advertising, for decades, and with self-publishing for 10 years. I have been on the inside of the transition to digital publishing, day by day, step by step. And that gives me a bird’s eye view!

I remember when the very first digital offset press came into being, and it was the first one. I remember when graphic art layouts were produced using a typesetting machine with phototypesetting system (the smell of that..phrew); now done by computer. I could go on but I won’t. So let’s get to the REAL means and definition of self publishing. First of all let’s define a few key related terms:

1. Fiction and non-fiction are books venues. Types of books are not tied to the type of publishing or printing used.

2. A publisher is a  role (whether a small, medium, large, or self) a project manager, not a printing service!

3. Self-publishing (accurate definition) refers to a business model, or business activity, not a type of equipment or type of company. See  how Wikipedia defines self publishing at the end of this article.

4. Print on demand is a type of printing process or service often used in self publishing (but not limited to) and not equal to self publishing.

Experience the exhilaration of BOOK COACHING during a trial session with Deborah S. Nelson. Click to schedule a complimentary 1/2 hour—available Tuesdays & Thursdays from 12p.m.-6p.m. EST.

COMPLIMENTARY BOOK COACHING

 Apple Juice & Orange Juice: Books & Book Venues

These terms are key terms to understand if you want to learn the publishing process, and they do not mean the same thing. Think of apple juice and orange juice (fiction and non-fiction, autobiography, poetry, for example). These are types of juices poured into different types of containers; a juice glass, plastic glass, paper cup, travel mug, or a big, medium or small-sized glass. The same is true with different venues of books. The publisher will print a fiction book, or a non fiction book using different book sizes, page lengths, and shapes, four-color, black and white printing, with soft or hardback covers. The type of juice or book can be shaped into a choice of different containers or book formats.

The Publisher and the Self Publisher

The Buck Stops at the Publisher! Are you the Default Publisher?

The publisher is a role, a person or organization and brand who directs the functions involved in creating and bringing a book to market. If we are talking apple and orange juice, the brand prepares raw fruit and transforms raw material into juices. Then they bottle, label, and bring the juices to market. These are brands such as Dole, or Minute Maid, Naked Juice (health food venue), or the local juice bar who fresh squeezes juice and serves to you personally.

There are many types of juice brands. In publishing, for example, the Publisher could be known entities such as Random House, Penguin, Thomas Nelson Publishing, or  DS Publishing. DS Publishing is my small publishing company, and is not a big or well-known brand, and equivalent to the example of the local juice bar.

Both the local juice bar and Dole direct the quality and flow of preparing raw material (fruit) and bringing the bottled or served juice to you. It is the publisher’s to direct the preparing of the creative works (raw material) into a printed book and then to bookstore market. They do the same role. The juice companies buy and prepare the fruit, and serve it to you in a container. The publisher signs the talent, brings the creative work to a  printed form, and then gets it to the hands of the readers. The self publisher is a publisher and is like the juice bar. They are both smaller and more local, but still perform the same function as the big brand.

In the case of the self-publisher, the raw material is the works of the author-publisher, and in the case of the local fresh juice bar, the fruit used may be fruit grown in their organic orchard of fruit from a local field. The only real difference in function between a publisher and a self publisher is that the self publisher is also a talent scout, looking for creative works to turn into a book. The self-publisher already owns the creative works; and therefore does not need to look for the raw materials to create the published books.

The Publisher’s Different Duties

What Does a Publisher or Self-Publisher Actually Do?

The publisher, or self publisher first finds or produces  creative works. From there, the following pieces in chronological order are outsourced or done by the publisher. This varies by publisher:

1. Creative Works Contract: Obtain the creative works and initiate a contract with the author which defines copyrights and royalties, and the advance. With self-publishing, no legal contract is necessary. The self-publisher will own all the rights and royalties.

2. Content Edit. This edit will be sure the manuscript is organized, consistent, and understandable to the expecting reading audience.

3. Interior Design and Layout. A graphic artist will prepare the manuscript in the size, shape, and design according to printers specifications.

4. Copy Edit. the copy editor is will make the manuscript consistent with punctuation, headers, subheads, and spacing.

5. Proofreading. A proofreader will check for misspellings

6. Cover Design.  A graphic artist will create a cover to printers specifications

7. Select Printer. Publisher selects the printer, how many copies printed, or print on demand service, and uploads the final digital file to the printer.

8. Proof. Proof is reviewed by publisher and author, and corrections are made to the art file and resubmitted to the printer

9. ISBN  number and title assigned. Book is printed, and delivered to publisher by selected printer.

10. Publisher selects distribution sales channels. This may include Kindle, Amazon, Independent and major booksellers.

These steps are highly oversimplified, but this is the real role of the publisher or self-publisher. As you may note above, most so-called “self-publishing companies” are basically “print on demand” companies.

Print on Demand Process

Print on demand is simply a digital printing process. See this 2-minute video to get a thorough understanding of print on demand. Print on demand companies are calling themselves self-publishing companies. They also say their services are free. Technically this is true, but not in reality. See our article about the Real Cost of  Self Publishing. This is a spin to attract customers. The person who writes the book and moves it through the publishing process is the self-publisher. These print on demand companies offer incredible and miraculous printing services, but they are not the “self” who writes (or even publishes) your book.

The Confusion Comes and Writers are Scammed

Multitudes of new printing companies who use print on demand printing method have entered the playing field in the past 10 years. Equating print on demand technology loosely with self-publishing, they call themselves self publishing companies. However, if you are publishing your own book, you are really the “self”  of the publishing company, not them; they are just the printer–in secret expectation of becoming your pubisher by default–through lack of your understanding. That’s a scam situation.

You publish your book, as you are the one responsible for subcontracting and preparing the book cover, the interior,  and uploading it to the printers for publication. Sometimes these print on demand companies buy an ISBN number and assign it to your book; so in that light they consider themselves the (self) publisher. That is a technicality; because they are simply printing your book, . In reality only the author can do the self-publishing. Even Wikipedia agrees with me about the definition of self publishing as follows:

WIKIPEDIA definition of Self-publishing is the “publication of any book or other media by the author of the work, without the involvement of an established third-party publisher. A self-published physical book is said to be privately printed. The author is responsible and in control of entire process including design (cover/interior), formats, price, distribution, marketing & PR.”